Signors to pitney-bowes postage meter co



Dec. 6, 1927.

W. H. WHEELER, JR., 'ET AL I POSTMARKING AND STAMP CANCELING MACHINEFiled Deo. 2l, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dwdl ,D S w. L m v w I- v Dec. 6,1927.

W. H. WHEELER, JR., ET AL PosTuARxING AND s TAMP CANCELING HACHINE FiledDec. 21. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,428

W, H. WHEELER, JR., ET AL POSTMARKING SAND STAMP CANCELING MACHINE FiledDec, 21, 1925 3 sheets-sheer s Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. WHEELER, JR., AND JACOB W. OGDEN, OF STANFORD, CONNECTICUT,AS-

SIGNORS TO PITNEY-BOWES POSTAGE METER C0., OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT,

.A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

POSTMARKING AND STAMP-CANCELING MACHINE.

Application led December 21, 1925.

This invention is an improvement in machines for postmarking andcanceling mail matter, and is particularly designed for use as amanually operated or hand power machine, although adapted to be operatedby power if desired.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine very simple inconstruction, accurate in operation, and capacitated to handle a largevariety of first class mail matter of great variety of kinds and sizes.such as is commonly found in the ordinary run of first class mail.

Further objects are to provide a novel feed hopper by which letters areprevented from becoming wedged together at the point where they arepassed from the hopper to the printing devices, to provide novel meansby which the delivery of the letters is synchronized with therevolutions of the printing die, and novel letter arresting deviceswhereby they are properly timed and spaced apart in the operation of themachine on mixed mail mattei'. Various other novel features andadvantages of the machine will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one practicalembodiment of the invention, and will describe the same with referencethereto, and summarize in the claims the essentials of the invention andthe novel combinations of parts and novel features of construction forwhich protection is desired.

In said drawings Figure l is a front elevation of a complete machine.

Figure 2 is a somewhat enlarged side elevation of the feed end of thecomplete inachine.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View.

Figure et is a somewhat enlarged sectional view.

[n the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, theoperative parts are mounted upon ak supporting plate l. which ispreferably slightly inclined from the perpendicular, and is attached toa base la which may be mounted upon a stand or other Support of anysuitable construction,

Serial No. 76,657.

not shown, The supporting plate l is provided vvith bearings lb for ashaft 2s having' on its front end a hand wheel. 2 provided With a crankhandle 2h by which it may be rotated. A fly wheel 2 is mounted on therear end of the shaft 2S to impart momentum and unity of operation tothe operative parts and this fly wheel 2 may be used as "a belt wheel ifit is desired to drive the machine by power by belting wheel 2 to anelectric motor or other suitable prime mover.

Above the shaft 25 the plate l is provided with bearings l for a shaft3S carrying a printing cylinder 3. Motion may be transmitted from theshaft 2S to the shaft 3S by means of gears 2t and 3 on the shafts 2S, 3Sas shown. The cylinder 3 preferably has a portion 3' of its surfaceprovided with an engraved plate adapted to print the cancellation marksomitted and is also provided with a movable engraved die 3P omitted toprint the postmark. These features being` connnon in postmarkingmachines it is not deemed necessary to illustrate or describe same indetail.

Cooperating with the cylinder 3, and arranged beneath the same, is animpression roller 4t which is mounted eccentrically of the feed wheel 2upon a stud shaft 4S attached to a swinging or yielding member 5 whichis shown as pivoted on a stud' 5 fastened to the plate l. The impressionroller should be held in yieldinpT contact with the impression cylinder3, by suitable means; a spring 5t being' indicated in the drawings. Saidimpression roller is driven by frictional contact with the printingcylinder or the mail matter which is passed between the impressionroller and printing cylinder. A suitable stop should be provided tolimity the upward travel of this member 5 and impression roller 9 toprevent the latter from entering the gaps 3h in the surfaces of theprinting cylinder. an adjustable stop bolt 5d attached to plate l beingshown.

The engraved canceling` bars. and the letteringl and type on thepostumi-hingT die, are preferably arranged in straight lines on theperiphery of the cylinder, and at angles te the axis of saidI cylinder.-Tlw; pe

the bite of the printing and impression rollers. The wiper 10b restsupon that part of the door 11, immediately in front of the stop 14. itsextreme end nearly touching the stop. This position of the wiper holdsthe letter firmly against the stop and prevents it from being curledupward and having its edge marred in case the push of the feed pads istoo strong.

The hand wheel 2 is provided with one or more feed pads 2", spaced aparta distance equal to the circumference of the cylinder 3. The number ofthe feed pads 2 employed depends up-on the ratio of revolutions betweenthe hand wheel 2 and the cylinder 3.

Each feed pad 2 consists preferably .of a plate or boss 2P, attached tothe rear side of the hand wheel, and covered by a rubber band. Theprojecting end of each pad is adapted to engage and forward thelowernoost piece of mail in the feed hopper as the hand wheel isrevolved. The feed pads 2f on the hand wheel 2 will move in orbit-seccentric to the impression roller el. and the feed pads are timed tocarry letters of the poorest feeding quality up to the stop. Letters ofa better feeding quality may arrive at the stop sooner, but in eithercase the stop will release them at the right moment.

In the machine shown the printing cylinder 3 is adapted to make tworevolutions for each revolution of the hand wheel 2; therefore the handwheel 2 has two feed pads QF, 1S()C apart, and makes one revolution fortwo of the printing cylinders; there is therefore a definitely fixedtime relation between the action of the feed pads and the action of theprinting cylinder. If all the mail matter were of a uniform characterthis relation of feed pads to die would be sufficient to insure that theimprint would be made in the same position on every piece of mail. Butas the mail is not uniform, the stop 1st is provided. to arrest and holdback each letter until the proper time and to then release it, asdescribed.

If the friction bands 3 on the printing cylinder 3 -were continuous abulky piece of mail might be caught in the bite between the printingcylinder and impression roller before the stop 14; hadv properlyreleased it and to prevent this the gaps 3 are left in the bands 3a.'.lhe engraved part of the printing c vlinder immediately following thegap will pinch the letter against the impression roller shortly afterthe stop is released.

The ioor 11 of the feed hopper is of novel and peculiar construction.From its outer end. at the left. it rst slants` downwardly toward thehand wheel and then curves upward following approximately the curve ofthe rim of the wheel. This curved portion of the bottom plate is slottedas at 11C, to admit the passage of the feeding pads 2*.

One part of the flo'or 11 extends below and another part extends abovethe path of the feed pads 2", and said parts support. the mail in thehopper until the feed pad lifts it forward. The wiper l0 is pressedtoward that parl of the floor 11 which extends above the path of thefeed pads. and will rub against the passing mail and prevent more thanone piece passing at a time.

Owing to the peculiar shape of the floor l1 `short pieces of mail willslant away from the wall 7 at a more pronounced angle than lone mail.This feature adds to the etticiency of the feed, short mail beinggenerally harder to separate than long. because as a rule it rimsthinner. post cards for instance being very hard to feed because theypack together so tightly. The slant of the floor makes the separation ofthe mail easier as the thin pieces of mail will not become wedged underthe wiper and the upper pieces have a tendency to slide away from thewall 7.

Each feed pad 2" will act on the lowermost piece of mail up to the pointwhere it passes the stop let, although its action begins to diminish inforce at a point just a. short distance ahead of the stop, at whichpoint the curve of the floor ceases to parallel that of the path of thepads and becomes tangent to the arc.

The pivot 13a is the center of the Varc of travel of the stop 14: inrelation to the cam 16. and the rod 1-1n arranged at such an angle thatthe stop when down will positively prevent the passage of a letter, butwill quickly move out of the way 'when it is released by the cam; andyet can easily yield on its re turn trip until the released piece ofmail has passed.

After the printingl operation the letters are discharged into a suitablereceiving hop per wherein they are stacked. The hopper shown is composedof a back plate 15. bottom 15, an adjustable outer end wall 15". and aninner guard wall 15C. The back plate 15 is secured to the plate 1: andthe floor 15 may be either an integral part of.y or fastened to, theplate 15; the wall 15h is preferably adjustably fastened to the tioor 15in order to accommodate letters of different lengths; the guard 15Cispartly curved around the hand wheel to prevent letters re boundingfrom the end wall 15h in contacting with the hand wheel.

The angle of inclination and shape of the feed hopper floor. and theproximity of the feed pads to the stop. and the angle and constructionof the stop are important features of the invention.

Heretofore in machines of this character the floor of the feed hopperhas been either level, or in some eases inclined towards the point ofdelivery to assist: the feed of mail by by gravity. In such inclinedgravital' feeds Slt) llt)

cards or envelopes are apt to become wedged together so tightly that thewipe could not properly separate them, and two or more pieces oi? mailwould pass at a tinie. ln cases where the iioor Yas level extraLt'eeding means acting on the mail matter in advance of the Separatorwas necessary: and this involved a more complicated com-truction.

In our invention the door ol" the teed hop- Vper is so shaped that themail matter laid upon it has a away trom the separator, so that gravitywould. tend to hinder the i'eed, and. this prevents the aforesaidobjectionable wedging etiect. rihe curving-g' ot the bottoni adjacentthe rim of' the wheel greatly increases the extent of rc ot contactwith. the feed pads and obvia les the necessity iter auxiliary feedingvn'icans. Such lo. arc oit Contact naires it possille to feed pieces otmail whose forward edges are considerably back from the separator.condition that Otten occurs in 1. ractice. T he repeated impact of theteed pads at a point so tar removed trom the leading; ends ot' theenvelopes also tends to loosen up the pile and lreep film of airbetween. the pieces of mail and maires their separation easy; and as thepile of mail supporte-a only at the ends, there will be less squeezingont oit 'the air from between the pieces.

That we claim is:

1. ln a postinarliingn and stamp canceling]` machine ot' the characterspecilied, a. printing cylinder; an impression roller c actingtherewith, a rotatable iced wheel. a, separator; a 'eed hopper having;`a bottom plate adapted to support 'the mail matter and incline it bygravity away from the separator, a stop to successively arrest theletters; a movable support for the stop, cani means tor normallyholding; the stop in letter arnesting` position, means for withdrawingrthe stop trom arrestingposition when permitted by the cam.

2. ln a postmarking and stamp canceling.)r machine of the characterspecihed, a printing` cylinder; an impression roller coacting;therewith. a rotatable feed wheel., a separator. a iteed hopper haring);a downwardly and upwardly inclined bottom plate adapted to support theletters and incline th by `-ari-:arity away from the separator? a stopto .flnci'zessively arrest the letters. a movable snpport for the stopUcam means tor normally holding the stop in letter arresting' position,and means for withdrawing the stop Afrom arresting` position when,permitted by the cam.

3. lin a postmarkingi and stamp canceling; machine of the characterspeciiied, a printingdevice; an impression device coacting` therewith; arotatable feed whe-el. a separator; a feed hopper havingr a bottom plateadapted to support the letters at two points Lessines and incline themby gravity away from the wiper, said bottom being` curved adjacent therim ol the feed wheel to increase the extent el contact of the feeddevice with the letter.

Av1?- -.n a. postmarking and stamp canceling oi the character spccilicd,a printd pads.l and operating` beside and eccentrically the impressionroller; a wiper; a iced hopper lrayingv a downwardly and npwardlyinclined bottom plate adapted to support the letters at two points; saidbottom being' curved adjacent the rim of the 'leed wheel to increase theextent ot contact ci the `tee-d device with the letter.

5. ln a postinarlrin. and stamp canceling machine of the characterspecilied, printing 1fevices, and feed devices: a ieed hopper hava.bottom adapted to support the mail .ttor at two spaced points, leavinarthe matnnsnpported at center whereby the ia'eight ot the mail mattercauses it to sag :und incline away 'from the feed devices therebyfacilitating separation of the mail by the l ,xl devices.

6. in a postmarling and stamp canceling machine ot toe characterspeciiictha printing device; an impression device enacting` there with;feed devices and a separator; ot a lf-ced hopper having downwardly andupwardly inclined bottom plate adapted to snpport the mail matter at twospaced points leaving; the matter unsupported at center whereby theweight o the mail matter causes it to sag and incline away from theseparator thereby facilitatingr separation of the mail by the leeddevices.

. ln a pestmai-hing` and stanno canceling .c ice; an impression devicecoactingjT therevi h; a rotatable lieed wheel, having leed pads, and awiper; oi' a vleed hopper having downwardly and upwardly inclined bottomplate adapted to support the inail matter at two spaced points, leavingthe matter unsupported at center whereby the weight ot' the mail mattercauses it to and incline away `from the wiper thereby facilitatingseparation of the mail by thc iecd devices7 substantially specified.

i JS

8. ln postmarliinp; and stamp canceling` chine of the characterspeciflied, a printing y its periphery; an impression roller having`circumferential annular portions adapted to coaot with the feed bands onthe Cylinder; a rotatable feed Wheel; a Wiper; a 'feed hopper; a stop tosuccessively arrest the letters; a movable support for the stop; cammeans for normally holdingl the stop in letter arresting position; andmeans for Withdrawing the stop from arresting position When permitted bythe cam.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own, We alix oursignatures.

W. H. WHEELER, JR. JACOB 1W. OGDEN.

